With a star-studded performance on September 15 in the Meatpacking District. Cornelia Street Café comes home to the village! Come join in for the fun and music: September 15, 3-7 PM Gansevoort Plaza, Gansevoort Street & Little West 12th Street
-
-
A Night Out with Noel Coward, Steve Ross and KT Sullivan
By Robert Heide The great New York singer Steve Ross—dubbed the “Crown Prince of New York Cabaret”—with the dynamic, amazing KT Sullivan—the artistic director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation—appeared in the past month of August in a show devised and written by Barry Day entitled Love, Noel—The Songs and Letters of Noel Coward. The program
-
Smalls Jazz Club—25 Years of Bringing Up the Jazzcats
By Karen Rempel Smalls Jazz Club, in the cellar at 183 West 10th Street, makes an incalculable contribution to jazz music every day, incubating hundreds of talented young jazzcats since its inception in 1994. Owner and jazz pianist Spike Wilner tells us a bit about the history of the club as Smalls celebrates surviving and
-
Magic Time! Art & Ephemera of the Caffe Cino
By Robert Heide Following on the heels of my last article entitled “The Legendary Caffe Cino Designated a NYC Landmark” for the August 2019 edition of WestView News along came an invite to attend a dual exhibition at the ClampArt Gallery at 247 West 29th Street. Opening night was August 15 and the exhibit of
-
The Creative Genius of Diana Broussard
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor Diana Broussard is a creative force of nature. She’s a true pioneer in fashion design, from Calvin Klein’s eponymous underwear for women to the latest in wearable tech—exclusive, sleek handbags with customizable video displays. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Dior and
-
Millenary Moche Nights at the Hendricks
By Gy Mirano When Peruvian artist Julio Granados was last in Lima he received a call from New York confirming he had been selected to paint a mural in the heart of Manhattan. The honor had been a long time coming and well-deserved. It is a joy to view his work—which is lyrical, lighthearted, and
-
View From My 91st Floor Window
By Karin Batten In 2001 I had just moved to the Westbeth artist housing community, in the West Village, two months prior to the 9/11 attack. On the day of 9/11 the primaries for mayor were going on. I had just changed my district in New York City so I was re-registering to vote. I
-
The Youth Orchestra of Milan Joins The Youth Orchestra of New York
Two of what might be called the world’s most prestigious youth orchestras will come together on August 9th and 10th in joint performances here in New York. From Milan, the home of Giuseppe Verdi, the Orchestra Sinfonica Junior (OSJ) joins The Children’s Orchestra Society of New York (COS), the youth orchestra founded in 1962 by
-
The Middle East: A Source of Love, Peace and Art
By J. Taylor Basker Drones shot down by hostile powers, captures of tankers, divisive politics, threats of nuclear war, sanctions, kidnapping, bombs, beheadings—this is what we hear about the Middle East as Islamophobia in Europe and the U.S. grows. Yet, in Amman, Jordan this visiting Greenwich Village artist discovered a radically different situation. I was
-
Hats On to Linda Zagaria!
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor With her dark hair curving against her alabaster cheek in a 1920s bob, and her signature hat, Linda Zagaria is instantly recognizable. Influenced by the stars of the silver screen, her elegant dresses and constant pearls evoke the era between the wars. Her passion for the Art Deco period
-
Landmark Preservation Today
By Brian J. Pape, AIA, Architecture Editor The loss of the original NYC Penn Station caused citizens here to focus on the importance of our monumental buildings and special historic homes being lost. But the movement to preserve special places grew. Economic and population pressures continued to threaten our historic fabric, from Plymouth Rock to
-
Book Review: Crimes and Punishments: Entering the Mind of a Sentencing Judge
Crimes and Punishments: Entering the Mind of a Sentencing Judge By Frederic Block ABA Book Publishing, Chicago, 210 pages, $34.95 In U.S. District Judge and West Villager Frederic Block’s new memoir, he explains the challenges of punishing people for criminal convictions. It is a book of great self-reflection, written in a plain and engaging style
-
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
IT WAS A VERY PROUD DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD and everyone came out in their true colors, including the local pets – like Spencer, this jolly little pooch in the handsome cravat ….. … and these visiting youngsters in their rainbow shawls brightening up the usually low key scene in Abingdon Square. ….Not to mention
-
Bleecker Flower Shop
By Salvador V. Bleecker Flower Shop opened in March 2019 as a flower studio located on Bleecker Street in the West Village in Manhattan. It was founded by two Spanish friends, Valeria Castillejo and Bebes Ferrer, who bonded over a passion for flowers, nature and artisan work. When Valeria was looking for an apartment they
-
Envisioning Its Future: Challenges for the Country’s Only Music School for the Blind
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones, executive director of The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School (fmdgmusicschool.org) By Barbara Chacour SURPRISING HISTORY: The New York Lighthouse for the Blind was started in 1905 by sisters Edith and Winifred Holt (of the Holt publishing family), who had been inspired by a group of blind schoolchildren’s enthusiastic attendance
-
The Psychology of Perpetrators, Bystanders, and Victims of the Holocaust
By Leila Amin Attempting to explain human behavior during an event as unfathomable as the Holocaust can seem like an impossible task. However, although a nation of bystanders was crucial to its implementation, so too was an army of active perpetrators, each of whom had to undergo a transformation of their own in order to
-
50th Anniversary of Stonewall: Remembered through Dramatic Work
By Celeste Kaufman Phoenix Lindsey-Hall, a ceramicist, photographer, and mixed media artist, has a story to tell; and what better time to share her story than during the celebration of the Stonewall uprising? She explores themes related to queer communities, and the violence perpetrated against them. Originally focusing on photography, earning degrees from Parsons School
-
Rocketman Launches Taron Egerton into Stardom
By Raphael Carty Rocketman is an audacious reimagining of Elton John’s life as a musical set to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin songbook, with touches of whimsy and surrealism creating a fantastically entertaining film. Beneath the stardust and sequins is a darker story than I had gleaned from the headlines over the years. From his parents
-
-
Robert Heide At The Newark Museum
By John Gilman WestView News writer Robert Heide will be featured on a panel about Pop Art at the Newark Museum in downtown Newark on Saturday, July 13 at 2 PM. The Museum, at 49 Washington Street, is a few short blocks from Newark’s historic Penn Station—best way for Greenwich Villagers to get there is
-
Whither the Village?
By Senior Minister at Judson Church The Village can’t be what it used to be any more. Been there, done that. It may be that the times have changed. Since 9-11, most people are more concerned about safety than we are about freedom. We even say good-bye with the words “Be Safe,” as though safe
-
Mermaid Parade Splashes Up Coney Island’s Surf Avenue
By Karen Rempel Summer began with a splash on Saturday, June 22 with Coney Island’s 37th annual Mermaid Parade. Mermaids, Neptunes, merkids, and merdogs paraded in sea-deep splendor to a crowd of over 840,000 people. The parade ended with Coney Island-born King Neptune, Arlo Guthrie, and Queen Mermaid, Nora Guthrie, together with the self-designated mayor
-
King Leer and the Sausage
By James Lincoln Collier King Leer was meeting with his cabinet. They were all there—Rumpelstiltskin, the Mock Turtle, Hansel and Gretel, and the King’s spokesperson, Huckleberry Sausage, a chubby woman wearing an elegant string of pearls. The King spoke. “What are we going to do about the Wicked Witch of the West Coast?” Rumpelstiltskin grimaced.
-
The Village’s Own Gem of a Festival—The 13th Annual Manhattan Film Festival at Historic Cinema Village Theater
Villagers attend one of “The coolest film festivals in the World” as ranked by Movie-Maker Magazine The Manhattan Film Festival (MFF) recently completed its 13th year. The festival is rated by Movie-Maker Magazine as one of “25 film festivals worth the entry fee.” The MFF has been located at that historic gem of Independent filmmaking,
-
Pat Lasch: Artist and Seven Generations in the West Village!
By Melinda Photis My mother, Pat Lasch, has the distinction of having had her artwork lost or discarded by the Museum of Modern Art in New York two years ago—not one of MoMA’s high points! But that’s only a small part of her history. My mom was born in Gotham Hospital on 5th Avenue. My
-
The Kate Smith “God Bless America” Controversy
By Robert Heide Before every performance at the legendary Caffe Cino coffee house theatre on Cornelia Street, Joe Cino, the proprietor and guiding light for the plays presented there, would step forward under a spotlight, sometimes wrapped in an American flag, and introduce the play as it was about to start. Over the sound system
-
A Fifties State of Mind
By Barbara Riddle John Cassavetes, the Stonewall Inn and the end of the Cold War are all connected in my mind by two words. Two words that describe what we badly need during these politically insane times: resistance and hope; hope and resistance. My thoughts were triggered during a book reading/signing I recently attended, a
-
Not Your Grandmother’s Square Dancing
By Kian Lam Kho It is a cool beautiful spring evening in the Village and the main door of P.S. 3 on Hudson Street is slightly ajar. You can hear music wafting through the gap and recognize Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. But over the music a firm sing-song voice is calling
-
Stonewall Uprising, 1969: A 50-Year Celebration
By Robert Heide and John Gilman Yes, we were there the night of June 28th, 1969, and all the rest of those famous nights whose impact has been felt around the world. This year’s annual Gay Pride Parade will celebrate the 50th anniversary of that date, and is expected to be attended by a record
-
Suzanne Poli Classic Photo
On a hot June Pride day in 2005, Suzanne Poli captured this infamous roller-skating pair, renowned for their dramatic and colorful flair, posing with their favorite companion. Miss Columbia (l.), the beloved drag queen from Queens died last October and was widely mourned and celebrated. Her swirling antics, as well as Rollerina’s, became part of the fabric of the annual half-century Pride March
-
The Whitney Museum Opens its 2019 Biennial Exhibition
By Martica Sawin Two years have gone by and the Whitney Biennial is here again on Gansevoort Street and will be with us until September 22. This is fortunate because, although it is not overwhelming in size or clamorous in appearance, it is a sobering, thought-provoking show that requires time to listen to and absorb
-
-
Parsons School of Design Runway Show Ornamented Fifth Avenue
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor As part of the New School’s graduation festivities at the end of May, the Parsons School of Design held the first-ever street runway show in Parsons history. The event on 5th Avenue and 13th Street featured more than 250 unique looks by Parsons fashion grads. It was a spell-binding
-
Let Us Now Praise Judson Church
By Jane Heil Usyk Judson Memorial Church, a mainstay on Washington Square South, has been on the right side of hundreds of causes since the nineteenth century. Among its precepts is the idea that artists will lead the way in establishing ideals. This is an ancient idea, from classical times; but who today even thinks of it,
-
Saving Broadway and Hollywood in The Village
By John Bredin In our 2011 film The Rebirth of Cinema, my wife and I symbolized Hollywood with the image of a dead, rotting tree that was decaying into the ground. The site we chose was the top of the New Jersey Palisades in Fort Lee, where the movie industry was born a little over
-
100 Years of Non-Solitude and Creativity
by J. Taylor Basker Friends, family and fellow creatives celebrated Edith Stephen’s 100th year birthday in Westbeth Artists Housing in Greenwich Village with two parties: one private, for family and close friends in her studio; and the other for the public in the Westbeth Community Room, for fans and neighbors, that included a puppet show
-
Five Milestones of Technology That Made Us What We Are Today
By Josef Eisinger© After musing in these pages about the evolution of life on Earth (WestView News, Feb. 2019) and about the rapid pace of technological innovations (WestView News, Jan. 2018), I propose to select in this article five technological landmarks that arguably had the greatest influence on human behavior in their wake. This is,
-
Style on the Street: Men in Suits
As the thermostat inches up, the coats come off and men display their sartorial elegance in suits both retro and up-to-the-minute. Text and photos by Karen Rempel.
